International Investments in Emerging Economies
Yesterday we saw that private investment is becoming increasingly important for many developing countries. Today we focus on two questions: What role do foreign investors play in different developing countries? And how can we maximise their contributions towards getting poverty to zero? Most foreign investment in developing countries is either in the largest and most […]
The Critical Role of the Private Sector in Ending Poverty
There is growing consensus about the vital role that the private sector does, can and should play in development and ending poverty. The idea of sustainable business – going beyond social responsibility to strike a different balance between the goals of profit and social return – has been a new source of energy in the […]
Impact Investments to End Poverty
All resources flowing to developing countries – domestic and international, public, private and commercial – can be used for ending poverty: aid is not the only resource that can be used. Some will deliver immediate returns; other investments will deliver longer-term impact. They will each have advantages for different objectives and in different contexts. The […]
A DFID Perspective on the Private Sector
An Interview with Alistair Fernie, Head of the Department for International Development’s (DFID) Private Sector Department. The interview was conducted by the Business Call to Action. Alistair Fernie has been head of the Department for International Development’s (DFID) private sector department, based in London, since 5 August 2013. Prior to that he spent four and […]
What No Cash? Does Technical Assistance to Inclusive Business Really Help?
‘What no cash?’ is what some businesses thought on first sight, responding to the offer of technical assistance from the Business Innovation Facility, funded by DFID. ‘Technical assistance can help inclusive businesses to develop faster and/or build more robust business models.’ That was one of the assumptions on which the programme was based, and is […]
The Challenges of Mixing Business and Religion
Emily Youatt, Kompanion Financial Group’s Marketing & Development Specialist, interviews Zamir Pusurov, Director of Kompanion Invest In Kyrgyzstan, Kompanion Invest, the country’s only Islamic microfinance institution is trying to find a foothold in the country’s financial sector. In a country where over 85 percent of citizens are followers of Islam and many seek to run […]
Should DFID Promote British Business Overseas?
Justine Greening’s speech at the London Stock Exchange on Monday highlights the growing emphasis on how business contributes to economic growth, and on how growth is the way out of absolute poverty. There are two interrelated objectives here: reduce poverty in developing countries through economic growth (i.e. by creating new jobs and raising incomes) and […]
Local Banks and Success in Smallholder Finance
Current local bank lending to smallholder farmers meets only 3% of the global demand, but the sector presents enormous opportunities for growth, innovation, and investment. Expansion of this lending market would support the livelihoods of two billion of the world’s rural poor. In the first briefing document in this series, the Initiative for Smallholder Finance […]
Smart Aid – Why it's All About Jobs
Today, the UK Development Secretary, Justine Greening, delivered a speech at the London Stock Exchange on the role of business in economic growth: “Smart aid: Why it’s all about jobs”. Below is a transcript of the speech. It’s a great pleasure to be here with everyone this morning. And I want to say a massive […]
Smart Aid – Why it’s All About Jobs
Today, the UK Development Secretary, Justine Greening, delivered a speech at the London Stock Exchange on the role of business in economic growth: “Smart aid: Why it’s all about jobs”. Below is a transcript of the speech. It’s a great pleasure to be here with everyone this morning. And I want to say a massive […]
Job Creation in South Africa
Unemployment in South Africa, especially amongst young people, remains one of our country’s most pressing challenges. It is estimated that three million young people are currently unemployed, representing nearly three quarters of overall unemployment in the country. For some, starting a business offers an alternative to finding a job, although for many a weak culture […]
Breaking Down Financial Barriers to Healthcare
There is an African proverb which says: “If you want to go fast, travel alone. If you want to go far, travel with others.” Travelling fast is all very well. But to go far – to secure genuine, long-lasting development that helps people live healthier, more productive lives – then travelling with others is paramount. […]
M-PESA: Innovating New Business Models at the BoP
M-Pesa is one of the biggest success stories in the history of serving customers at the economic bottom of the pyramid–the world’s poorest. Launched in 2007 by Safaricom, it quickly dominated the cash transfer market, and grew at an astounding rate, capturing more than two-thirds of Kenya’s adult population as customers. Users who subscribe to […]
Land in Investment – Navigating the Risks and Opportunities
Investors, fund managers and companies are currently reconsidering how to manage issues associated with the development of land. In the last year, land conflicts have hit the share price of a publicly-listed rubber company in Asia; forced asset owners to divest from agricultural projects in sub-Saharan Africa; generated losses of up to US$2 million a […]
5 Things Changemakers Can Learn From Muhammad Yunus
It is unlikely that the 15-year-old Muhammad Yunus, who visited North America on a Boy Scout trip a half century ago, ever imagined returning 57 years later to receive the United States Congressional Gold Medal. He was awarded such an accolade earlier this year because he’s had a profound influence on the way the world […]
Islamic Microfinance: Does Faith Matter?
Does an association with faith encourage more prompt repayment of microloans and are the staff of faith-inspired microfinance institutions more motivated? After recently returning from a visit to Pakistan, where I was analysing the operations of an Islamic microfinance institution, I am tempted to answer yes to both questions. The microfinance institution in question is […]
Making Loans and Transforming Lives in Pakistan
It may be Christmas right now but it was quite fitting that as the holiest month in the Muslim calendar, Ramadan, drew to a close earlier this year lendwithcare.org celebrated the successful inclusion of our first Islamic Microfinance partner, Akhuwat in Pakistan. Like ‘traditional’ microfinance, Islamic microfinance is the provision of basic financial services to […]
Financial Inclusion in Zambia: Self-Made Women
Emma Chase worked in Zambia for 6 months to establish the relationship between MicroLoan Zambia and LendWithCare. This blog looks back at her time in Zambia. My first few weeks were spent getting to know the organisation and coming up with procedures for the partnership which sees local groups of women gain funding from backers […]
Improving Access to Financial Services
2.5 billion people around the world lack access to financial services such as savings accounts, access to loans, insurance and bank transfers. According to the Centre for Financial Inclusion: “Access to a range of quality financial services at affordable prices, delivered with convenience and dignity, can change the course of an individual’s, family’s, or business’s […]
Waste Not Want Not: £240m on Unwanted Christmas Gifts
People in Britain will waste more than £240 million* on unwanted presents this Christmas with one in four people saying they panic buy presents, according to a survey commissioned by micro loan website lendwithcare.org. With each ‘panic buying’ adult spending an average of £46.25 on wasted gifts and almost three quarters of buyers (75%) unable […]